Social Computing and the Law

A compilation of expertise in Internet law and in ethical considerations concerning social computing in emergencies.

Social computing systems are disruptive technologies with an evolving legal landscape. This book documents legal and ethical considerations in the application of social computing systems in emergency and disaster situations. It references recent legal rulings and the European General Data Protection Regulation (2018).This innovative book sets itself at the crossroads of several rapidly developing areas of research in legal and global studies related to social computing, specifically in the context of how public emergency responders appropriate content on social media platforms for emergency and disaster management. The book - a collaboration between computer scientists, ethicists, legal scholars and practitioners - should be read by anyone concerned with the ongoing debate over the corporatization and commodification of user-generated content on social media and the extent to which this content can be legally and ethically harnessed for emergency and disaster management. The collaboration was made possible by EU's FP 7 Project Slandail (# 607691, 2014–17).